William Pelz inducted to Genesis Group Education Hall of Distinction
On Thursday, November 18, 2021, William Pelz was inducted into the Genesis Group's Education Hall of Distinction. The prestigious recognition of Pelz's extraordinary career took place at the Genesis Group's annual Celebration of Education. Herkimer College's Provost Michael Oriolo accepted the award on behalf of Pelz who was unable to attend the event.
The following presentation was made to introduce Pelz:
In 2018, with 50 years of service, William Pelz retired from Herkimer County Community College. He was the longest-serving faculty member at the College.
Bill joined the faculty in 1968, as instructor of social science, and was promoted through the ranks to professor in 1980. He also served in the roles of director of learning systems technology, distance learning coordinator, and webmaster. And at one time, Bill was chairperson of the Humanities/Social Science division -- it was during that time he founded the first computer-based college learning center.
Bill was a leader in the development and implementation of the Internet Academy, and he served as instructional designer for online learning for 20 years. Bill’s innovative work and leadership led to an incredibly successful Internet Academy that has grown to offer 21 degree and three certificate programs entirely online and accounts for approximately 20 percent of the College’s enrollment.
During Bill’s tenure, Herkimer’s Internet Academy was the recipient of the 2016 Institutional Achievement Award presented by the National University Technology Network, recognizing effective use of technology in teaching and learning and organizational administration that is exemplary, demonstrating leadership and commitment, but also advancing the field as an institutional model.
In addition to his work at Herkimer College, Bill was a lead trainer for the SUNY Learning Network from 2000 to 2010. He facilitated workshops and provided training to nearly 3,000 new SUNY Learning Network professors in the SUNY system. He also was invited by universities in Chile and South Africa to visit their campuses and advise them on development of their online programs and train their faculty. Bill also served as associate editor and content contributor for the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching project.
Bill received not one, but two prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. In 1994, he received the Excellence in Teaching Award, and in 2004, he received the Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. Additionally, Bill was the recipient of the Sloan Consortium Award for Excellence in Online Teaching in 2003, and was named a Sloan Consortium Fellow in the field of online learning in 2013.
Upon his retirement, Bill was honored by the Herkimer County Community College Board of Trustees with the title of Professor Emeritus, recognizing his excellence and commitment to Herkimer College.
Congratulations Bill Pelz, on an extraordinary career, and your induction into the Genesis Group Education Hall of Distinction.
